Food Categories Research Articles

Ultra-processed Foods Frequently Promoted in Canada's Grocery Flyers from 2014, 2017, and 2021, with Healthier Cover Pages.

Purpose: To assess nutritional quality of foods promoted in Canadian grocery flyers including level of processing, and whether adherence to dietary guidance varied by year, region, store type (regular or discount), or location in the flyer. Methods: Observational study; national sample of weekly digitized flyers (n = 53 flyers; n = 8,790 promoted foods and beverages) were collected from Canada's largest market-share national grocer, from 2014, 2017, and 2021. Flyer food items were extracted and coded manually into food groups and categories. Nutritional quality of promoted items was analyzed by three nutrient profiling systems including NOVA level of processing and Canada's Food Guide (CFG). Logistic regression models were used to examine odds of flyer foods aligning with dietary guidance. Results: Mean food items per flyer were 106 (SD = 66.4) in 2014; 174 (SD = 106.2) in 2017; and 215 (SD = 49.8) in 2021. Baked products (11%), non-alcoholic beverages (10.7%) and milk/dairy (10.2%) comprised the largest proportions of flyers. Least healthy/ultra-processed foods were most frequently advertised (CFG: 58.5%; NOVA: 51.2%); but followed by the most healthy/un/minimally processed (CFG: 33.6%: NOVA: 27.8%). Across geographic regions, odds of CFG alignment were similar, and no different in discount versus regular banners. Food items on the flyer cover page had consistently higher odds of CFG alignment. Conclusion: Consistent with past research, flyer foods frequently did not align with dietary guidance.

Food price elasticity estimates in Australia.

Fiscal food policies can be used, among others, to minimize the burden of diet-related diseases. To inform the design of such policies in Australia, we used the large grocery-purchasing dataset NielsenIQ Homescan to estimate own-price elasticities and cross-price elasticities for 18 food categories. We found that households were most responsive to changes in price for non-sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages: a 10% increase in price was associated with reductions in demand of 15% and 12%, respectively. Additionally, an increase in the price of one category was associated with relatively small changes in the quantity demanded for other categories (that is, 92% of cross-price elasticities had an absolute value <0.2). There were small differences in own-price and cross-price elasticities across socioeconomic quintiles. These price elasticity estimates can be used to model the health and equity impacts of fiscal food policies in Australia.

Why Do We Eat Comfort Food? Exploring Expectations Regarding Comfort Food and Their Relationship with Comfort Eating Frequency

Background/Objectives: Consuming comfort food is a common experience in daily life, but the underlying motives for engaging in comfort eating remain unclear. This study examined people’s expectations regarding their comfort food and investigated whether these expectations are associated with their frequency of comfort eating. As an exploratory aim, we also examined whether there are gender differences in preference for different categories of comfort food (i.e., sweet or savory) and the frequency of engaging in comfort eating. Methods: Through an online survey, participants (n = 214) reported their primary comfort food, the frequency of comfort eating in the short term (i.e., the past two weeks), and the general trend over the long term. They also rated statements related to their primary comfort food based on five expectation subscales (i.e., Manage Negative Affect; Pleasurable and Rewarding; Enhances Cognitive Competence; Alleviates Boredom; Positive Feelings). Results: Although Pleasurable and Rewarding and Positive Feelings received the strongest level of endorsement, their associations with the frequency-related variables were weak in both correlational and regression analyses. In contrast, Manage Negative Affect, Alleviates Boredom, and Enhances Cognitive Competence were positively associated with all frequency-related variables, with Alleviates Boredom showing the most consistent pattern. There were no significant gender differences in preferences for sweet or savory comfort food, and no significant gender differences in the frequency of eating comfort food. Conclusions: These findings suggest people believe they can gain a range of expected benefits from consuming comfort foods and perceive themselves as consuming comfort food primarily for rewarding themselves or gaining positive feelings. However, it is the expectations of managing negative affect, alleviating boredom, and enhancing cognitive competence that motivate them to engage in comfort eating.

Elasticities of Food Import Demand in Arab Countries: Implications for Food Security and Policy

Rising population, combined with declining home food production, in Arab nations has resulted in increased food imports that intensifies their dependence on international markets for vital food supplies. These nations face challenges in achieving food security because crude oil price volatility creates difficulties in managing the expenses of imported food products. This research calculates the income and price elasticities of imported food demand to understand consumer behavior changes in response to income and price variations, which helps to explain their impact on regional food security. To our knowledge, this research presents the first analysis of imported food consumption patterns across Arab countries according to their income brackets. This study employs the static Almost Ideal Demand System model to examine food import data spanning from 1961 to 2020. The majority of imported food categories demonstrate inelastic price and income demand, which means that their essential food consumption remains stable despite cost fluctuations. The need for imports makes Arab nations vulnerable to external price changes, which endangers their food security. This research demonstrates why governments must implement policies through subsidies and taxation to reduce price volatility risks while ensuring food stability, which will lead to sustained food security for these nations.

Genomic characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from food in Beijing, City 2022

Objective: To analyze the genomic characteristics and antibiotic resistance of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from food sources in Beijing City in 2022. Methods: A total of 83 strains of Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from three major categories of food, namely raw poultry, raw livestock meat and ready-to-eat foods, in Beijing's food safety risk monitoring in 2022. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to determine serogroups, multilocus sequence typing (ST) and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). Virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes were identified using the VFDB and ResFinder 3.0 databases. Antimicrobial susceptibility to eight antibiotics was tested via the broth microdilution method. Results: The predominant serogroup was 1/2a, 3a (61.2%). All the isolates were divided into 14 STs, with ST121 (21.7%), ST8 (20.5%), ST9 (13.3%), and ST87 (13.3%) as the dominant types. All 83 isolates were classified into 75 cgMLST types, with six clusters showing identical profiles, indicating potential clonal transmission. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that strains of the same ST clustered together regardless of geographic origin, and some Beijing isolates differed by fewer than 10 alleles from strains isolated in other countries. All the isolates in the study carried virulence islands 1(LIPI-1) and LIPI-2. LIPI-3 was detected in ST1, ST11 and ST3 isolates, while LIPI-4 was found in ST87 isolates. About 42 isolates (50.6%, including ST1, ST11, ST5, ST307, ST8, ST9, ST155, and ST3) harbored SSI-1, and 18 ST121 isolates carried SSI-2. Only 3.61% (three strains) and 4.82% (four strains) of isolates exhibited resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin, respectively. No resistance to other tested antibiotics was observed. Conclusion: Foodborne Listeria monocytogenes in Beijing exhibits high genomic diversity but is dominated by specific STs, some of which are associated with hypervirulence. Some Beijing isolates have homology with food-derived isolates from other countries.

China’s future food demand forecast based on provincial diets and shared socio-economic pathways

Building on the vast heterogeneity in dietary practices and population size across China, which has contributed to profound regional disparities in food demand, this study incorporated provincial-level dietary preferences and energy needs across different age groups, genders, and residential statuses to project future regional dietary patterns and food demand in China across the five shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) scenarios. The projected diets were proven to be consistent with Chinese dietary practices and fulfilled macronutritrient requirements, compared to dietary guidelines from the EAT-Lancet Commission, the Chinese Nutrition Society, and major peer studies. The dataset covers raw grain demand for 13 major food categories—including rice, wheat, maize, highland barley, tubers, beans, pork, beef, mutton, poultry, aquatic products, eggs, and dairy products—at the provincial level, spanning 2020 to 2100. Diet directly relates to food security, human health, and environmental sustainability. The developed dataset provides detailed demand information at both spatial and food-specific levels, offering valuable insights for conducting food management strategies tailored to regional needs and optimizing resource allocation strategies.

Creating healthy remote store food environments: use of the Store Scout App in practice

BackgroundThe retail food environment influences food options and purchasing behaviour. Nutrition professionals can support food retailers to create health-enabling food environments. The Store Scout App (Store Scout) is a decision-support tool designed to facilitate this - it rapidly assesses health-enabling store practice and provides real-time feedback to retailers. This research aimed to assess the use of Store Scout by nutrition professionals in their practice to support retailers further their adoption of best-practice for community health improvement.MethodsStore owners of 30 stores in Aboriginal remote communities of Central Australia were invited to participate. Nutrition professionals servicing these stores received online training in creating healthy remote stores and access to Store Scout. Store appraisals using Store Scout were conducted from March 2021-August 2022. Practice change was assessed quantitatively using practice scores out of 100 generated by Store Scout for seven food categories and overall (baseline and follow-up). Usability was assessed qualitatively using semi-structured interviews with the nutrition professionals based on the Modified System Usability Scale. Thematic analysis was performed using Gale’s framework method for qualitative data analysis.ResultsFourteen of sixteen consented stores had appraisals completed at baseline, and 10 of the 14 stores at follow-up. Average overall practice scores increased from 60% (95%CI 53,67) at baseline to 64% (95%CI 56,73) at follow-up. Nutrition professionals (n = 4) found Store Scout quick and easy-to-use. The App helped facilitate effective collaboration with remote retailers. The ability to provide instant feedback and actionable evidence-based suggestions was an asset. Key recommendations to improve usability were identified.ConclusionsStore Scout is useful in practice to enhance engagement between nutrition professionals and retailers and shows potential to support adoption of healthy food retail best-practice and monitoring for continuous improvement. Its potential to support healthy food retailing in non-remote settings warrants investigation.

Nutritional and dietary assessment of cadets menus at the Iran Army Military Academy

BackgroundRegarded among the most important pillars of health, healthy nutrition has the greatest impact on military forces’ mental and physical condition. Apart from the adverse effects this might have on a person’s health, lack and overconsumption of macro and micronutrients will cause a loss of material wealth. Consequently it’s important to avoid wasting resources and its adverse impacts.MethodologyRandom samples of 150 male cadets (age: 21.20 ± 7.8 years, height: 176.7 ± 6.6 cm, body mass: 76.5 ± 9.6 kg, BMI: 24.5 ± 2.8 kg/m2) were taken in this descriptive cross-sectional research. Data collection relied on demographic data, international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), and food frequency based on food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Under a significance level of less than 0.05, the gathered data were mathematically evaluated using an independent T-test within SPSS-20 program.ResultThe study’s findings suggested that dietary intake of energy expenditure, protein, linolenic acid (omega3), linoleic acid (omega 6), fiber intake, water, vitamins A, D, C, E, B1, B5, B6 B9, B12, H, choline, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, copper, selenium, manganese, fluorine, chromium, molybdenum, boron, cobalt, nickel was below MDRI (p = 0.001). which can lead to problems with the absence of macronutrients and micronutrients. Furthermore, the energy intake, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins K, B2, B3, sodium, chlorine, and iodine were more than that of MDRI (p = 0.001), which will adversely affect cadets’ health and loss of material resources.ConclusionFor the overall health and performance of military students, it’s vital that their energy balance and nutritional requirements including macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals be evaluated and an accurate and suitable diet be formulated. Consequently, using supplements or adding nutrient-rich food categories including vitamins and minerals in their diet becomes an obvious necessity to avoid side effects and resource wastage.

Exposure to the main Organic Plastic Additives through food contamination.

Exposure to the main Organic Plastic Additives through food contamination.

Applying the Nova food classification to food product databases using discriminative ingredients: a methodological proposal

BackgroundGrowing interest in the Nova food classification system surged among various stakeholders, driven primarily by compelling evidence linking the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to negative health outcomes. This growing interest underscores the potential value of identifying clear markers to classify UPFs, particularly to support research and regulatory efforts.ObjectiveTo propose replicable methods to identify UPFs, by testing the sensitivity and specificity of these methods using a large sample of packaged foods from the 2017 Brazilian Food Labels Database.MethodsWe created five scenarios to identify UPFs using substances of rare culinary use and food additives typically found in UPFs and compared them with the Nova food classification process based on the product name and food categories, considered the classic method to identify UPFs. We estimated the proportion of foods and beverages identified as UPFs using the different scenarios based on the presence of discriminative ingredients. We used a diagnostic test and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) to understand which of the five scenarios performed better compared to the classic method to identify UPFs. Finally, we conducted a sensitivity analysis to test the role of vitamins and minerals in identifying UPFs.ResultsWe found variations in UPFs prevalence from 47 to 72% across the five scenarios, compared to 70% using the classic method to identify UPFs in Brazilian packaged foods. The scenario using food additives of a sole cosmetic function and substances of rare culinary use (scenario 3) identified a 65% UPF, while maintaining reasonable sensitivity and specificity, and the best-performing ROC curve. There was no significant difference in identifying UPFs when comparing the addition of vitamins and minerals to the food additives with sole cosmetic function.ConclusionThis study shows that using ingredient-based criteria, specifically cosmetic additives and substances of rare culinary use, can reliably identify UPFs, offering reproducibility, and supporting its use in research and policy applications.

Oral Processing Behaviors of Golden Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) From Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Primate foraging behaviors are influenced by a variety of factors including the physical and mechanical properties of food items. Golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) inhabiting Volcanoes National Park (VNP), Rwanda, rely heavily on mechanically challenging bamboo shoots and bamboo leaves for the bulk of their diet. We examined the oral processing behaviors of golden monkeys and predicted that bamboo shoots would be characterized by more incising and post-canine crushing behaviors needed to remove tough outer casings and process culms while leaves would require more mastications compared to other food items. We also predicted that juveniles would utilize more incisions and post-canine crushing behaviors to process bamboo shoots and more mastications to process leaves due to the reduced foraging efficiency characteristic of juveniles. We opportunistically filmed habituated groups of golden monkeys foraging during November-December 2022 and January-March 2024 (n = 328 videos). Oral processing behaviors (including incision, canine puncture, post-canine crushing, and mastication scaled to ingestive action) were scored from video footage using Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS). We found that bamboo shoots required more post-canine crushing behaviors compared to other food categories and that non-bamboo leaves required more mastications than bamboo leaves and shoots, respectively. Juveniles did not use more oral processing behaviors per ingestive action, although the inability to control for the size or amount of food ingested may obfuscate these results. Our findings show that golden monkeys adjust their oral processing behaviors to different food items and the routine use of post-canine crushing behaviors may help explain the pronounced tooth wear characteristic of golden monkeys in VNP.

A FPGA based recurrent neural networks-based impedance spectroscopy system for detection of YAKE in tuna

This paper evaluates the use of impedance spectroscopy combined with artificial intelligence. Both technologies have been widely used in food classification and it is proposed a way to improve classifications using recurrent neural networks that treat the impedance data series at different frequencies as a time series, with the intention of improving the identification of alpha and beta dispersions that are fundamental for the determination of food quality. This proposal in addition to being demonstrated its validity in the detection of YAKE on frozen tuna loins, is fully implemented on a low power FPGA device that allows the classification at the edge by means of a portable equipment that allows its application in food distribution chains with high energy efficiency.

Food digital marketing on social media: trends and strategies of Brazil’s leading meal delivery app

ObjectiveTo analyze digital marketing trends of Brazil’s leading meal delivery application (MDA) company on Facebook (FB) and Instagram (IG) from 2011 to 2022.MethodsThis exploratory, longitudinal, and mixed-methods study examined a 10% sample of all posts published by this company during the study period. Posts were analyzed in terms of food categories, media and connectivity features, and advertising themes.ResultsThe company predominantly promoted unhealthy foods, frequently employing persuasive digital marketing strategies. While this pattern was consistent across both platforms, IG posts were more visually engaging and interactive, making greater use of brand elements, hashtags, conversations, emoticons, user interaction, and company tagging (all p &amp;lt; 0.001). In contrast, FB posts more commonly included external links. Twelve distinct advertising themes were identified. They reflected a broad and diverse range of marketing strategies, encompassing brand promotion, user engagement, contextual appeals, technological features, social responsibility, and other themes. IG posts more frequently featured themes such as entertainment and social interaction, consumption stimulus, application differentials, public figure endorsements, and social and corporate responsibility (all p &amp;lt; 0.05). Conversely, the theme of communication and news was more prevalent on FB. Longitudinal analysis revealed that the company adapted its content over time, refining its use of media tools and thematic strategies in response to evolving digital marketing.ConclusionThe company primarily advertised unhealthy foods on both social media, leveraging persuasive techniques and marketing strategies. These practices may hinder public health efforts to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.

Maternal responsiveness to child receptiveness and fullness cues from 8 to 24 months of age and their relation with complementary feeding approach and language proficiency.

Maternal responsiveness to child receptiveness and fullness cues from 8 to 24 months of age and their relation with complementary feeding approach and language proficiency.

FSF-ViT: Image augmentation and adaptive global-local feature fusion for Few-Shot Food classification

FSF-ViT: Image augmentation and adaptive global-local feature fusion for Few-Shot Food classification

KAZAKH TRADITIONAL FOOD IMAGE CLASSIFICATION USING CNNS

Obesity is becoming an increasingly serious global health issue with severe consequences. Effective nutrition management is crucial in combating this epidemic. In Kazakhstan, traditional foods are a central part of the culture, yet comprehensive data and tools for analyzing dietary habits are lacking. Leveraging advances in computer vision, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) based approach to automatically classify images of traditional Kazakh dishes. We compiled a new dataset of 9,577 images across 22 categories of Kazakh foods and used it to train and evaluate several CNN models. The best-performing model (a fine-tuned DenseNet121) achieved a top-1 classification accuracy of 95%. These results highlight the potential of AI-based food recognition for dietary monitoring, nutritional assessment, and cultural preservation. Furthermore, the trained model was deployed in a Telegram chatbot to enable real-time food identification through image uploads, demonstrating a practical application of the system.

Nutritional Profiling and Labeling Practices of Plant-Based, Hybrid, and Animal-Based Dog Foods: A Study of European Pack Labels (2020-2024).

As pet owners become increasingly mindful of pet health and sustainability, labeling plays a crucial role in shaping informed purchasing decisions for pet food. This study evaluated the nutritional adequacy and pricing of plant-based, hybrid, and animal-based dog foods. Using the Mintel database, we analyzed product labels, ingredient compositions, and marketing claims for various dog food categories. The findings revealed notable differences in key nutrients, such as protein, fiber, fat, ash, and moisture content. Plant-based dog foods generally offer higher fiber and ash content but often fall short in protein and fat levels, particularly in snacks and treats, which may impact their suitability for meeting the dietary needs of canines. Hybrid dog foods, which blend plant and animal ingredients, show greater variability, with some achieving balanced protein and fat content, while fiber levels depend on the plant-based proportion. Animal-based foods tend to excel in protein and fat content, particularly in wet and dry formats, while being lower in fiber and ash content. A key concern is the reliance on additives, particularly in plant-based and hybrid options, which raises questions about the long-term health impacts on pets. Pricing trends indicate that plant-based dog foods are generally more expensive than hybrid and animal-based options, although the cost varies widely across all categories.

Food classification using daily sugar intake among Indonesian school-aged children

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of diabetes and sugary snacking habits among schoolchildren in Indonesia is driving the need for a comprehensive food classification system, particularly based on sugar intake, with potential implications for sugar traffic light labelling. This study aimed to classify foods according to sugar intake in Indonesian children aged 5 to 9 years. Methods: Using cross-sectional design, the study used secondary data from the 2014 Individual Food Consumption Survey (IFCS), which included 24-hour recalls from 8007 school-aged children (5-9 years). The 1318 food items consumed were aggregated into 61 subgroups and Ward’s hierarchical clustering method (HCWM) was used for classification. Principal component analysis (PCA) and BiPlot visualisation were used to analyse the similarity of the characteristic variables in each food level. Results: Four levels of food groups based on daily sugar intake: Level 1 (low sugar), Level 2 (moderate sugar), Level 3 (high sugar), and Level 4 (very high sugar). Notable items included instant noodles (Level 1), tea/coffee/cocoa drinks (Level 2), soft drinks/fruit drinks (Level 3), and added sugars/sugary milk (Level 4). Level 4 foods had highest sugar content and were among the most frequently consumed items, significantly contributing to daily sugar intake. Conclusion: This classification system highlighted the significant contribution of specific foods to daily sugar intake of school-aged children. Targeted nutrition interventions and strong food labelling policies are essential to reduce consumption of foods high in sugar and promote healthier dietary choices among children.

Tirzepatide on ingestive behavior in adults with overweight or obesity: a randomized 6-week phase 1 trial.

Tirzepatide induces weight reduction but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. This 6-week phase 1 study investigated early effects of tirzepatide on energy intake. Male and female adults without diabetes (n = 114) and a body mass index from 27 to 50 kg per m2 were randomized 1:1:1 to blinded once-weekly tirzepatide or placebo, or open-label once-daily liraglutide. The primary outcome was change from baseline to week 3 in energy intake during an ad libitum lunch with tirzepatide versus placebo. Secondary outcomes assessed self-reported ingestive behavior and blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging with food photos. Tirzepatide reduced energy intake versus placebo at week 3 (estimated treatment difference -524.6 kcal (95% confidence interval -648.1 to -401.0), P < 0.0001). With regard to secondary outcomes versus placebo, tirzepatide decreased overall appetite, food cravings, tendency to overeat, perceived hunger and reactivity to foods in the environment but did not impact volitional restriction of dietary intake. At week 3 versus placebo, tirzepatide did not statistically significantly impact blood-oxygenation-level-dependent activation to highly palatable food photos (aggregated category of high-fat, high-sugar foods and high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods) but decreased activation to high-fat, high-sugar food photos in the medial frontal and cingulate gyri, orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus. Our results suggest tirzepatide reduces food intake, potentially by impacting ingestive behavior. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04311411 .

Comparisons of Nutri-Score and NutrInform Battery on consumer preferences, objective understanding, and food choices among Portuguese consumers.

Front-of-pack nutrition labels (FoPLs) are a cost-effective measure to inform consumers about the nutritional values of foods and to help them make healthier food choices at the point of purchase. This study compared the preference and performance-objective understanding and food choices-of Portuguese consumers for two FoPLs: Nutri-Score and NutrInform Battery. An experimental study was conducted in 2022 on a representative sample of 1014 Portuguese adults (mean age = 45.1 ± 13.8 years; 49% women). Participants were randomly allocated to either the Nutri-Score or the NutrInform Battery group and asked to complete an online questionnaire testing their objective understanding of the label and the effect on purchase intentions for three food categories as well as perceived helpfulness and perception of the FoPL. In terms of participants' ability to identify the most nutritionally favourable foods, Nutri-Score outperformed NutrInform Battery in all categories, with the highest performance observed for the identification of the three foods of higher nutritional value within the breakfast product category (OR = 27.8 [19.4-39.9], P < .0001). Overall, with Nutri-Score, participants were more likely to intend to purchase more nutritionally favourable products than with NutrInform Battery (OR ranging from 2.01 [1.50-2.68] for breakfast cereals to 14.6 [10.2-20.9] for added fats, P < .0001). In terms of preference, Nutri-Score was more appreciated, and perceived as easier to use, more reliable, and more informative than NutrInform Battery. The Nutri-Score appeared to be a more appreciated and effective tool than NutrInform Battery for helping Portuguese consumers to choose foods with a better nutritional composition.